Top 10 Simon & Garfunkel Songs Top 10 Simon & Garfunkel Songs By Michael Gallucci November 5, 2012 1:22 PM REDDIT Michael Ochs Archives Simon & Garfunkel couldn't have come out of any other time but the '60s. The duo started the decade as painfully earnest folk singers before evolving into one of the era's most adventurous artists. Their final two albums — 1968's 'Bookends' and 1970's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' — are as aurally exciting as any record that came out of popular music's most fertile period. Then there are the songs themselves, penned by Paul Simon and sung by him and Art Garfunkel in a glorious mix of earthbound realism and angelic idealism. That timeless harmonic dichotomy runs through our list of the Top 10 Simon & Garfunkel Songs.

10 From ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ (1970) Simon was messing around with world music long before 'Graceland' and “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.' Two songs on 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' reflected his growing interest in sounds from other cultures: the Peruvian-influenced 'El Condor Pasa (If I Could)' and this one, a percussion-driven singalong based on Latin rhythms. Simon would explore global music more deeply throughout his solo career, but this handclap-fueled ditty is where it all began. From ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ (1970) One of Simon's most poignant songs was first released as a single in April 1969, serving as a bridge between the 'Bookends' and 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' albums. It's also one of Simon & Garfunkel's most meticulously produced records, a cornucopia of sounds that includes acoustic guitar, harmonica and a piccolo trumpet solo. But the heart of 'The Boxer' is its folk-like, and metaphorical, tale of a fighter struggling in both his personal and professional lives.

From ‘Still Crazy After All These Years’ (1975) After releasing 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' in 1970, Simon and Garfunkel went their own ways. Five years later, Simon was working on a song for his old partner's solo album that ended up a new Simon & Garfunkel single and their last Top 10 hit together. It's one of their all-time best, a blistering attack on small-town values that discharges like a gunshot during the final minute. Simon's masterpiece about two people searching for the true meaning of America, recorded during a period when it looked like the U.S. indeed may have lost its way, almost reads like a short story. The verses don't rhyme, there's not really a chorus and the whole thing comes off like the narrator's sad sigh of hopes and dreams. Simon was one of the '60s' most literary songwriters (and at times one of its most pretentious), and 'America' is his most majestic composition on this list of the Top 10 Simon & Garfunkel Songs.

From ‘Sounds of Silence’ (1966) Simon's prettiest song, and one of the most gorgeous songs ever written, was penned for his girlfriend whom he met in England while living there in the mid '60s. It's a love song, and a rather uncomplicated one, but Simon's plaintive voice, the spare acoustic guitar and, most of all, the lovely melody make it one of the most endearing songs recorded by Simon, who appears without Garfunkel on the track. From ‘Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme’ (1966) Simon originally wrote 'Homeward Bound' for his London-based girlfriend (the same one who checks in at No. 6 on our list of the Top 10 Simon & Garfunkel Songs), but over the years it took on more weighted significance, especially as the Vietnam War dragged on and soldiers, some of them in body bags, returned to the States. Either way, it's a perfect blend of melody and harmony — one of the duo's best performances.

‘The Only Living Boy in New York’ From ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ (1970) At the end of the '60s, Garfunkel spent as much time on movie sets as he did in recording studios. Simon wrote 'The Only Living Boy in New York' for his MIA musical partner (whom he calls “Tom,” a reference to the duo's late-'50s recording career as Tom & Jerry). It's a wonderful song of longing, loneliness and even sadness. It's a revealing trace of compassion in a relationship that hit more than its share of turbulence over the years. From ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ (1970) 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' is Simon's 'Yesterday': a song everybody knows, most people love and lots of artists (including Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley ) have covered. It's also Simon & Garfunkel's biggest hit, a Grammy-hogging classic that stayed at No. 1 for six weeks in 1970.

The song — the opening cut and anchor of the duo's best album — is mostly a solo showcase for Garfunkel, whose often-lauded choirboy voice soars to biblical heights during the climax. Heavenly. From ‘Sounds of Silence’ (1966) 'The Sound of Silence' was originally released on Simon & Garfunkel's 1964 debut album, 'Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.' as a stripped-down acoustic folk number. But producer Tom Wilson (who also worked on Bob Dylan 's 'Highway 61 Revisited,' as well as other '60s classics) remixed the song, adding electric guitars and drums. That version became the duo's first No. 1 and one of their greatest songs, a folk-rock milestone that paved the path for much of the rest of their career. Simon & Garfunkel's second No. 1 first appeared in the 1967 movie 'The Graduate,' but it's the single version — fleshed out with studio tricks and sterling production by the duo's trusted producer Roy Halee — from a year later that remains one of their most popular songs. 'Mrs.

Robinson''s launching point is the film's middle-age seductress, but the song is mostly a nostalgic look back on the past decade. It's filled with regret, hope and affection for a more innocent time — something you can pretty much say about all of the tracks on our list of the Top 10 Simon & Garfunkel Songs. What's Your Favorite Simon & Garfunkel Song? Did we overlook one of your favorite Simon & Garfunkel songs in our Top 10 list? Let us know what you think we should have included in the comments section below. Top 100 Classic Rock Songs Welcome back to Ultimate Classic Rock It appears that you already have an account created within our VIP network of sites on . To keep your personal information safe, we need to verify that it's really you. To activate your account, please confirm your password. When you have confirmed your password, you will be able to log in through Facebook on both sites. Enter your password YES, Activate My Account Now! Welcome back to Ultimate Classic Rock It appears that you already have an account on this site associated with . To connect your existing account just click on the account activation button below. You will maintain your existing VIP profile.

After you do this, you will be able to always log in to using your original account information. Simon & Garfunkel | Rolling Stone artists > S > Simon & Garfunkel > Bio Simon & Garfunkel Bio When they were in the sixth grade together in Forest Hills, Queens, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel discovered they could harmonize. What they may not have realized at the time was just how far their angelic voices would carry them. Throughout the latter half of the 1960s and early 1970s the duo's literary lyrics, sculpted melodies, and, above all, exquisite harmonies combined for a folk-pop sound that propelled them to the top of the charts and left a mark on thousands of future singer-songwriters. The first songs Simon and Garfunkel sang together were doo-wop hits, but soon they were singing their own songs. One of those was "Hey, Schoolgirl," which the duo recorded in 1957. An agent of Big Records present at the session signed them on the spot.

Calling themselves Tom and Jerry ("Tom Graph" and "Jerry Landis"), they had a Top Fifty hit with "Hey, Schoolgirl" and appeared on American Bandstand. (In a 1984 Playboy interview Simon asserted that the record company agent used payola to get the record played.) Garfunkel estimates the record sold 150,000 copies. When a few follow-ups flopped, Tom and Jerry split up. When they met again in 1962, Garfunkel was studying architecture after trying to record as Arty Garr, and Simon was studying English literature but devoting most of his time to writing and selling his songs. In 1964 Simon, who had just dropped out of law school and quit his job as a song peddler for a music publishing company, took one of his originals to Columbia Records producer Tom Wilson. Wilson bought the song and signed the Everly Brothers –influenced duo. Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.

— a set that combined traditional folk songs with Simon's originals and Dylan anthems like "The Times They Are A-Changin'," performed solely by the two singers accompanied by Simon's acoustic guitar — was lost in the glut of early Dylan imitators. Simon went to work the folk circuit in London, where in May 1965 he recorded a solo album. Several months later, he was performing around England and the Continent when he received the news that Wednesday's "The Sounds of Silence" was the Number One single in the United States. It was not quite the song Simon and Garfunkel had recorded. Wilson (who had played a part in electrifying Dylan's music) had added electric guitars, bass, and drums to the original track. The remixed single was at the vanguard of "folk rock." Simon returned to hit the college circuit with Garfunkel and to record a second duo album. Along with the redubbed "Sounds of Silence," the album of that name comprised folk-rock remakes of many of the songs from Simon's U.K. solo album.

The production was elaborate, an appropriate setting for Simon's self-consciously poetic songs and Garfunkel's angelic voice, and Simon and Garfunkel turned out to be acceptable to both teenagers (who found them relevant) and adults (who found them intelligent). In 1966 they placed four singles and three albums in the Top Thirty (the revived Wednesday Morning, Sounds of Silence, and Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme). "Homeward Bound" (Number Five), "I Am a Rock" (Number Three), and "Sounds of Silence" (Number One) reached the Top Five. Simon was not a prolific writer — most of the material on the first three Simon and Garfunkel albums had been composed between 1962 and 1965 — and once Parsley, Sage was completed, the duo's output slowed considerably. They released only two singles in 1967: "At the Zoo" (Number 16) and "Fakin' It" (Number 23). Simon was developing the more colloquial, less literary style he would bring to his later solo work; the first sign of it was the elliptical "Mrs.

Robinson," composed for the soundtrack of The Graduate. The film and the soundtrack album were followed within two months by Bookends; "Mrs. Robinson" hit Number One in June 1968, Bookends soon afterward. Simon and Garfunkel produced Bookends with engineer Roy Halee, who had worked on every Simon and Garfunkel session. (With Parsley, Sage, Halee had taken a major role in the arranging; it was Columbia's first album recorded on eight tracks.) "The Boxer" (Number Seven), Simon and Garfunkel's only release in 1969, was Columbia's first song recorded on 16 tracks. Bridge Over Troubled Water took almost two years to make as the duo began pursuing individual projects. They often worked separately in the studio, and as their music became more complex they performed less often on stage. Their only appearance together in 1969 was on their own network television special. Around this period, Garfunkel's acting career began with a role in Catch-22.

Soon after the record's release, Simon and Garfunkel staged a brief but very successful tour, which quieted rumors about a breakup, but by the time Garfunkel's second movie, Carnal Knowledge, and Simon's 1972 solo album came out, it was clear that their individual solo careers [see entries] were taking precedence. The two left their joint career at its peak, though both have said that their initial intention was not to break up permanently but just take a break from each other. After reaching Number One in spring 1970, Bridge Over Troubled Water rode the charts for over a year and a half (spending ten weeks at the top), eventually selling over 13 million copies worldwide. The LP yielded three hit singles - the title song (a Number one hit, the biggest seller of their career), "Cecilia" (Number Four), and "El Condor Pasa" (Number 18) — and won six Grammys. In 1977 it was given the British Britannia Award as Best International Pop Album of the past 25 years, and the title song received the equivalent award as a single.

To date the duo has sold more than 20 million albums in the U.S. alone. Since 1970 the Forest Hills classmates have gotten together on a few notable occasions. The first was a benefit concert for presidential candidate George McGovern at Madison Square Garden, New York, in June 1972. (That occasion also saw the reunions of Peter, Paul and Mary and the comedy team of Mike Nichols and Elaine May.) In 1975 Simon and Garfunkel had a Top Ten hit single with "My Little Town," a song Simon wrote for Garfunkel and sang with him, which appeared on solo LPs by both.

Garfunkel joined Simon to perform a selection of their old hits on Simon's 1977 television special, and the two got together again the next year in a studio with James Taylor to record a trio rendition of Sam Cooke's "(What a) Wonderful World." On September 19, 1981, Simon and Garfunkel gave a free concert for an estimated 500,000 fans in New York's Central Park, and in 1982, a double album, The Concert in Central Park, went platinum, peaking at Number Six. They embarked on an extended tour and began recording what was to have been a new Simon and Garfunkel album. Unable to resolve their creative differences, the two abandoned the project, and the material was released on the Paul Simon solo LP Hearts and Bones. The pair performed several shows for charitable causes in the early Nineties, and in 1993 a smash 21-date sold-out run at the Paramount Theater in New York City, followed by a tour of the Far East.

Though, technically speaking, these shows were not Simon and Garfunkel concerts (they performed together only in the first and last of the show's four segments; the balance was dedicated to Simon's solo work), fans seemed to feel otherwise. The two were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. In his speech Garfunkel thanked Simon for "enriching his life," before his former partner walked up the podium. ""Well, Arthur and I agree about almost nothing," Paul said. "But it´s true: I have enriched his life quite a bit now that I think about it." Sometime between 1993 and 2003 the duo had a falling out and were barely speaking, though details of the tift have not emerged. When Simon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2001 he thanked his old friend Arthur. "I regret the ending of our friendship," he said. "I hope that some day before we die we will make peace with each other [long pause].

No rush." In February of 2003 they were given a Lifetime Achievement Award, and the organizers talked them into opening the show with a performance of "The Boxer." Later that year Simon and Garfunkel hit the road again for a two-month Old Friends Tour that took them to 28 cities and resulted in the 2004 live album of the same name. Simon and Garfunkel reprised the tour that summer, ending with a performance at the Colosseum in Rome to a reported 600,000 fans, even larger than the audience at the 1981 Central Park show. Three years later, Simon won an award at the first PBS Gershwin Awards show, where he and Garfunkel performed "Bridge over Troubled Water." In 2009 Simon played the first show at the refurbished Beacon Theater, and Garfunkel shocked the crowd by joining him for the encores. Later that year they performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary at Madison Square Garden. Portions of this biography appeared in The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001).

Andy Greene contributed to this story. Art Garfunkel vs Paul Simon - Difference and Comparison | Diffen Art Garfunkel vs. Paul Simon Diffen › Entertainment › Music › Bands › Rock Bands Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel had a very successful career as the singing duo Simon & Garfunkel. They are well known for their close vocal harmonies and sometimes unstable relationship. Their last album, Bridge over Troubled Water, was delayed several times due to artistic disagreements. Singer-songwriter Paul Frederick Simon was born on October 13th, 1941 in New Jersey. Art Ira Garfunkel, singer, poet and actor, was born on November 5th 1941 also in New Jersey. The duo split in 1970 and the two artists performed separately thereafter. Paul Simon had a much longer and more successful solo career than his childhood friend, Art Garfunkel.

Comparison chart Art Garfunkel versus Paul Simon comparison chart Art Garfunkel Nov 5th 1941, New Jersey October 13th, 1941, New Jersey Death and causes of death Still alive Career Rose to fame in the 60s as half of the successful duo Simn and garfunkel Rose to fame in the 60s as half of the successful duo Simon and Garfunkel that spanned 1964-1970s and a successful solo career with collaborative efforts in many different types of music, including world music, especially African (Graceland) Solo hit albums Angel Clare, Breakaway, The Animals christmas The Paul Simon Songbook, Paul Simon, There Goes Rhymin' Simon, Still Crazy After All These Years, Graceland, Rhythm of the Saints, Songs from the Capeman, You're the One, Surprise, So Beautiful or So What Solo song hits Traveling Boy, I Only Have Eyes for You, Disney girls!

Wonderful World Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard, Mother and Child Reunion, Kodachrome, Loves Me Like a Rock, American Tune, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Slip Slidin' Away, Late in the Evening, You Can Call Me Al, Graceland, Father and Daughter Band Career Most famous for his lead vocals on the No.1 hit Bridge over troubled water while part of the duo Simon&Garfunkel. Wrote many of the harmonies and poems that were basis of songs. Elected in 1990 to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the duo. Wrote most of the songs of the famous 1965 duo Simon&Garfunkel including 3 No.1 hits Mrs.Robinson, Sound of Silence and Bridge over troubled water. Elected in 1990 to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the duo. Solo singing career One U.S Top-10 hit; three Top-20 hits, six Top-40 hits; 14 Adult Contemporary Top-30 singles, Five Adult Contemporary number ones, two UK number ones, a Golden Globe nomination & People's Choice Award.

12 Grammy awards & a Life time Achievement Award; inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in '01; listed in 100 people who shaped the world by Time magazine in '06; Received the 1st Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Acting career Starred in a 8 movies; made 7 TV appearances, 5 movie soundtracks and featured on Broadway. Dabbled in acting including a role Annie Hall, One Trick Pony and The Muppet Show. Has appeared on and hosted Saturday Night Live. Contents: Art Garfunkel vs Paul Simon Art Garfunkel (top) and Paul Simon (bottom) on the cover of their last album together Career highs as a duo Paul Simon while still part of Simon & Garfunkel wrote most of their songs including 3 No.1 hits Mrs.Robinson, Sound of Silence and Bridge Over Troubled Water. While Art Garfunkel was not a songwriter per se, he decided the harmonies of the songs, who would sing which part and how the songs were produced. He sang the famous song Bridge Over Troubled Water and For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her.

His poem contributed to shaping the song Scarborough/Canticle and he wrote the instrumental introduction to the song The Boxer. Careers after splitting Paul Simon had a much more successful solo career following the duo's split in 1971 than his singing partner. He made 3 successful studio albums over 5 years. His most famous solo albums include Paul Simon, There Goes Rhymin' Simon, Still Crazy After All These Years, Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints. After 3 successful back to back studio albums his commercial success dwindle in the late seventies. His last hit of the 70s, Slippin' Slidin' Away in 1977 was on this compilation album Greatest Hits Etc. In 1980 he released One Trick Pony, an album that was coupled with a movie of the same name starring Paul Simon. It produced his last Top 10 Hit but the album did not sell well in a decade dominated by disco music . As Simon was losing hope in his music, he went to South Africa in search of inspiration and created one of his most successful albums ever, Graceland.

He collaborated with South African artists and American ones such as Linda Ronstadt and Los Lobos. The album, released in 1986 was an eclectic mix of musical styles such as pop, acapella, isicathamiya, mbaqanga (rural Zulu singing) and rock. His next album Rhythm of the Saints borrowed from Brazilian music. In the late 1990s he had a disastrous run writing and producing a Broadway musical Capeman which lost $11 million. He has since collaborated with a number of musicians including a successful North American tour with Bob Dylan. Following the duo's split, Art Garfunkel returned to teaching Mathematics , in which he had a degree, in a school in Connecticut. His return to music was marked by the album Angel Care which received mixed reviews in the U.S and reached No.5 on the album charts. In 1974 his record Second Avenue was a hit. He reunited briefly with Paul Simon for his 1975 album Breakaway and received his first U.K No.1 hit with the song Looking for the Right One.

His 1978 album failed to impress the public; his single did not reach the U.S Top 40 list and was taken off the market after just 2 months. His next two album in 1978 and 1981 were a huge failure after which he reunited in 1981 with Paul Simon for The Concert in Central Park and a world tour. In 2009, Garfunkel appeared as himself on the HBO television show Flight of the Concords episode entitled "Prime Minister." Both Garfunkel and Simon appeared together in Madison Square Garden on October 29, and 30, 2009, for the 25th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert. Awards Paul Simon had a distinguished solo career winning 12 Grammys, 3 for Album of the Year and 5 No.1 Albums. His most popular albums are Paul Simon, Still crazy after all these years, Hearts and Bones, Graceland and Songs from the Capeman. His album Graceland was his 7th solo album and won him the Best International Solo artist award.

He is the first recipient of the Library of Congress Greshwin Prize for Popular Song. Paul Simon was the first Americn artist to be invited by President Nelson Mandela in post-apartheid South Africa. 2001inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his solo career and in 1990 for being half of the Simon&Garfunkel duo; in 2006 named as 100 people who shaped the world by Time magazine. Art Garfunkel had a less successful career than his singing partner Paul Simon after the duo split. However, he had one U.S top ten hit, 3 top twenty hits, 6 top forty hits, 14 Adult Contemporary top 30 singles, 5 Adult Contemporary number ones, 2 UK number ones, a Golden Globe nomination and a People's Choice Award. He was elected in 1990 to the Rock and Roll Fall of Fame for being half of Simon & Garfunkel. Film and Television Art Garfunkel has played more roles in film and television than Paul Simon. He was nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1972 for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the Carnal Knowledge.

He played the role of naive Captain Nateley in the 1970 movie Catch-22. He appeared in the 1986 movie Good To Go, in 1993 medical crime drama Boxing Helena and in 2010 in the film The Rebound. Paul Simon dabbled in acting including a role in Woody Allen's Annie Hall, One Trick Pony and The Muppet Show. Has appeared on and hosted the variety show Saturday Night Live. References Simon & Garfunkel — The Boxer — Listen, watch, download and discover music for free at Last.fm oldies "The Boxer" is a folk ballad written by Paul Simon in 1968 and first recorded by Simon and Garfunkel. It was released as the follow up single to their number one hit "Mrs. Robinson", and reached #7 in the US charts. It later appeared on their last studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water, along with its B-side "Baby Driver". It is particularly known for its plaintive refrain, in which the singer sings the tune as 'lie-la-lie', and the memorable finger-picking… read more Don't want to see ads?

Subscribe now Similar Tracks Simon & Garfunkel | Download Music, Tour Dates & Video | eMusic Group Members: Art Garfunkel , Paul Simon , Garfunkel/Grant All Music Guide: The most successful folk-rock duo of the 1960s, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel crafted a series of memorable hit albums and singles featuring their choirboy harmonies, ringing acoustic and electric guitars, and Simon's acute, finely wrought songwriting. The pair always inhabited the more polished end of the folk-rock spectrum and was sometimes criticized for a certain collegiate sterility. Many also feel that Simon, as both a singer and songwriter, didn't truly blossom until he began his own hugely successful solo career in the 1970s. But the best of S&G's work can stand among Simon's best material, and the duo did progress musically over the course of their five albums, moving from basic folk-rock productions into Latin rhythms and gospel-influenced arrangements that foreshadowed Simon's eclecticism on his solo albums. Simon & Garfunkel's recording history actually predated their first mid-'60s hit by almost a decade.

Childhood friends while growing up together in Forest Hills, NY, they began making records in 1957, performing (and often writing their own material) in something of a juvenile Everly Brothers style. Calling themselves Tom & Jerry, their first single, "Hey Schoolgirl," actually made the Top 50, but a series of follow-ups went nowhere. The duo split up, and Simon continued to struggle to make it in the music business as a songwriter and occasional performer, sometimes using the names of Jerry Landis or Tico & the Triumphs. By the early '60s, both Simon and Garfunkel were coming under the influence of folk music. When they reteamed, it was as a folk duo, though Simon's pop roots would serve the act well in their material's synthesis of folk and pop influences. Signing to Columbia, they recorded an initially unsuccessful acoustic debut (as Simon & Garfunkel, not Tom & Jerry) in 1964, Wednesday Morning, 3 AM They again went their separate ways, Simon moving to England, where he played the folk circuit and recorded an obscure solo album.

The Simon & Garfunkel story might have ended there, except for a brainstorm of their producer, Tom Wilson (who also produced several of Bob Dylan's early albums). Folk-rock was taking off in 1965, and Wilson, who had helped Dylan electrify his sound, took the strongest track from S&G's debut, "The Sound of Silence," and embellished it with electric guitars, bass, and drums. It got to number one in early 1966, giving the duo the impetus to reunite and make a serious go at a recording career, Simon returning from the U.K. to the U.S. In 1966 and 1967, they were regular visitors to the pop charts with some of the best folk-rock of the era, including "Homeward Bound," "I Am a Rock," and "A Hazy Shade of Winter." Simon & Garfunkel's early albums were erratic, but they steadily improved as Simon sharpened his songwriting, and as the duo became more comfortable and adventurous in the studio. Their execution was so clean and tasteful that it cost them some hipness points during the psychedelic era, which was a bit silly.

They were far from the raunchiest thing going, but managed to pull off the nifty feat of appealing to varying segments of the pop and rock audience -- and various age groups, not just limited to adolescents -- without compromising their music. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (late 1966) was their first really consistent album; Bookends (1968), which actually blended previously released singles with some new material, reflected their growing maturity. One of its songs, "Mrs. Robinson," became one of the biggest singles of the late '60s after it was prominently featured in one of the best films of the period, The Graduate (which also had other Simon & Garfunkel songs on the soundtrack). It was unsurprising, in retrospect, that the duo's partnership began to weaken in the late '60s. They had known each other most of their lives, and been performing together for over a decade. Simon began to feel constrained by the limits of working with the same collaborator; Garfunkel, who wrote virtually none of the material, felt overshadowed by the songwriting talents of Simon, though Garfunkel's high tenor was crucial to their appeal.

They started to record some of their contributions separately in the studio, and barely played live at all in 1969, as Garfunkel began to pursue an acting career. Their final studio album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, was an enormous hit, topping the charts for ten weeks, and containing four hit singles (the title track, "The Boxer," "Cecilia," and "El Condor Pasa"). It was certainly their most musically ambitious, with "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "The Boxer" employing thundering drums and tasteful orchestration, and "Cecilia" marking one of Simon's first forays into South American rhythms. It also caught the confused, reflective tenor of the times better than almost any other popular release of 1970. That would be their last album of new material. Although they didn't necessarily intend to break up at the time, the break from recording eventually became permanent; as Simon began a solo career that brought him as much success as the S&G outings, and Garfunkel pursued simultaneous acting and recording careers.

They did reunite in 1975 for a Top Ten single, "My Little Town," and periodically performed together since without ever coming close to generating albums of new material. A 1981 concert in New York's Central Park attracted half a million fans, and was commemorated with a live album; they also toured in the early '80s, but a planned studio album was canceled due to artistic differences. Simon & Garfunkel - Listen to Free Music by Simon & Garfunkel on Pandora Internet Radio more Simon & Garfunkel The most successful folk-rock duo of the 1960s, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel crafted a series of memorable hit albums and singles featuring their choirboy harmonies, ringing acoustic and electric guitars, and Simon 's acute, finely wrought songwriting. The pair always inhabited the more polished end of the folk-rock spectrum and was sometimes criticized for a certain collegiate sterility. Many also feel that Simon , as both a singer and songwriter, didn't truly blossom until he began his own hugely successful solo career in the 1970s.

But the best of S&G's work can stand among Simon 's best material, and the duo did progress musically over the course of their five albums, moving from basic folk-rock productions into Latin rhythms and gospel-influenced arrangements that foreshadowed Simon 's eclecticism on his solo albums. Simon & Garfunkel's recording history actually predated their first mid-'60s hit by almost a decade. Childhood friends while growing up together in Forest Hills, NY, they began making records in 1957, performing (and often writing their own material) in something of a juvenile Everly Brothers style. Calling themselves Tom & Jerry, their first single, "Hey Schoolgirl," actually made the Top 50, but a series of follow-ups went nowhere. The duo split up, and Simon continued to struggle to make it in the music business as a songwriter and occasional performer, sometimes using the names of Jerry Landis or Tico & the Triumphs. By the early '60s, both Simon and Garfunkel were coming under the influence of folk music.

When they reteamed, it was as a folk duo, though Simon 's pop roots would serve the act well in their material's synthesis of folk and pop influences. Signing to Columbia, they recorded an initially unsuccessful acoustic debut (as Simon & Garfunkel, not Tom & Jerry) in 1964, Wednesday Morning, 3 AM They again went their separate ways, Simon moving to England, where he played the folk circuit and recorded an obscure solo album. The Simon & Garfunkel story might have ended there, except for a brainstorm of their producer, Tom Wilson (who also produced several of Bob Dylan 's early albums). Folk-rock was taking off in 1965, and Wilson, who had helped Dylan electrify his sound, took the strongest track from S&G's debut, "The Sound of Silence," and embellished it with electric guitars, bass, and drums. It got to number one in early 1966, giving the duo the impetus to reunite and make a serious go at a recording career, Simon returning from the U.K. to the U.S.

In 1966 and 1967, they were regular visitors to the pop charts with some of the best folk-rock of the era, including "Homeward Bound," "I Am a Rock," and "A Hazy Shade of Winter." Simon & Garfunkel's early albums were erratic, but they steadily improved as Simon sharpened his songwriting, and as the duo became more comfortable and adventurous in the studio. Their execution was so clean and tasteful that it cost them some hipness points during the psychedelic era, which was a bit silly. They were far from the raunchiest thing going, but managed to pull off the nifty feat of appealing to varying segments of the pop and rock audience -- and various age groups, not just limited to adolescents -- without compromising their music. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (late 1966) was their first really consistent album; Bookends (1968), which actually blended previously released singles with some new material, reflected their growing maturity. One of its songs, "Mrs.

Robinson," became one of the biggest singles of the late '60s after it was prominently featured in one of the best films of the period, The Graduate (which also had other Simon & Garfunkel songs on the soundtrack). It was unsurprising, in retrospect, that the duo's partnership began to weaken in the late '60s. They had known each other most of their lives, and been performing together for over a decade. Simon began to feel constrained by the limits of working with the same collaborator; Garfunkel , who wrote virtually none of the material, felt overshadowed by the songwriting talents of Simon , though Garfunkel 's high tenor was crucial to their appeal. They started to record some of their contributions separately in the studio, and barely played live at all in 1969, as Garfunkel began to pursue an acting career. Their final studio album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, was an enormous hit, topping the charts for ten weeks, and containing four hit singles (the title track, "The Boxer," "Cecilia," and "El Condor Pasa").

It was certainly their most musically ambitious, with "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "The Boxer" employing thundering drums and tasteful orchestration, and "Cecilia" marking one of Simon 's first forays into South American rhythms. It also caught the confused, reflective tenor of the times better than almost any other popular release of 1970. That would be their last album of new material. Although they didn't necessarily intend to break up at the time, the break from recording eventually became permanent; as Simon began a solo career that brought him as much success as the S&G outings, and Garfunkel pursued simultaneous acting and recording careers. They did reunite in 1975 for a Top Ten single, "My Little Town," and periodically performed together since without ever coming close to generating albums of new material. A 1981 concert in New York's Central Park attracted half a million fans, and was commemorated with a live album; they also toured in the early '80s, but a planned studio album was canceled due to artistic differences. ~ Richie Unterberger

Question: Which classic song was the only UK No. 1 hit single for Simon and Garfunkel?
Answer: Bridge Over Troubled Water